Obama to seek broad expansion of overtime pay

new york times

Updated 12:16 am, Wednesday, March 12, 2014

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama this week will seek to force U.S. businesses to pay more overtime to millions of workers, the latest move by his administration to confront corporations that have enjoyed soaring profits even as wages have stagnated.

On Thursday, the president will direct the Labor Department to revamp its regulations to require overtime pay for several million additional fast-food managers, loan officers, computer technicians and others currently classified by many businesses as "executive or professional" employees to avoid paying them overtime, according to White House officials briefed on the announcement.

Obama's decision to use his executive authority to change the nation's overtime rules is aimed at bypassing congressional Republicans, who have already blocked most of the president's economic agenda and have declared that they intend to fight his proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour from its long-standing $7.25.

The president's action is certain to anger the business lobby in Washington, which has long fought for maximum flexibility for companies in paying overtime.